The worlds of Futurama
And 2001: A Space Odyssey
Collide when Bender voice actor John DiMaggio recreates an iconic HAL 9000 scene. First earning in 1999, Futurama Episodes chronicle the misadventures of pizza delivery driver Philip J. Fry (Billy West) after he is accidentally frozen in 1999 before then reawakening in the year 2999. Bender, a hard-drinking robot, has been a prominent character on the show since its premiere . 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), on the other hand, hails from director Stanley Kubrick and is widely considered one of the most important sci-fi movies ever made.
Voice actor Rob Paulsen Now takes to Instagram to share a recent recording session with DiMaggio in which the pair recreated a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The scene in question from the 1968 classic features the HAL 9000 computer system refusing to open the pod bay doors for Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea). DiMaggio speaks the same Hal 9000 lines but in his iconic Bender voice and with the same cadenceTurn the tense scene into a comedic encounter. Watch the video below:
Like 2001: A Space Odyssey connects to Bender in Futurama
The two titles explore some similar themes
Although there are various science fiction themes that Kubrick explores in 2001: A Space OdysseyThe idea of artificial intelligence is clearly a major focus. The HAL 9000 computer system essentially controls Dave’s ship in the filmAnd it is responsible to ensure that the ship remains on course with as few risks as possible. The terrifying dark side of the computer system becomes apparent when it refuses to obey Dave’s orders, but the cameras even read Dave’s lips as he tries to plot against him.
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Although Futurama Being an animated sitcom and not one of the most seminal works of science fiction in movie history, it also explores some similar AI themes, albeit in a very different way. Bender, as a robot, has artificial intelligence, and he is ultimately a fairly antagonistic character. One of Bender’s most memorable expressions is actually “Kill all humans“ And this theme of humans vs. AI has been a mainstay of the sci-fi genre for decades.
Our look at DiMaggio’s HAL 9000 bender video
Are more 2001: A Space Odyssey parodies on the way?
FuturamaThe voice cast is a major reason for the show’s success, in addition to its writing and animation style. DiMaggio’s Bender is easily one of the show’s most iconic characters, and it’s fun to see the voice actor bring his character into an entirely new—yet still fitting—situation.
Futurama Season 13 is confirmed to arrive on Hulu in the coming years, and it’s certainly possible that another 2001: A Space Odyssey Parody will happen in the new episodes. Although rights issues mean it’s unlikely that Bender will be spouting any HAL 9000 lines in FuturamaThe above video serves as an interesting peek into a potential crossover.
Source: Rob Paulsen